it as Christmas presents!!! (I pay $2. at Aldi).
Contentment is a blessing though I shouldn't take it back to Eden,
James. I bounced between my mother's extravagance and boarding school
and the latter had a lasting effect- though I wouldn't have made a
good nun. :-)
Take this week's assignment- for my youngest son who loves a
vegetarian: make something edible from a block of tofu and send him
some recipes. I failed- from broiled to Chinese to Mexican and the
result went into the food processor to use with tostadas or burritos
as I hate to throw out or waste food but the whole endeavor was a
penance. On the other hand, I happened on two small lamb shanks which
I roasted with vegetables and felt sinful. :-)
On Dec 9, 2:46 am, James Lynch <ashkas...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Like Monkebus I think greed as we define it is mainly due to language,
> and like Vam think there are genetic motives for the behavior
> (physiological/psychological). Like other animals we seek to secure
> our survival by responding to our perceived environment, not
> necessarily to the world at hand but the psychological response to
> environmental pressures.
>
> I've been watching the squirrels gathering various resources to fare
> our Michigan winter and pondering what it is like to feel the
> instinctual motive to respond to the change of seasons, for them I
> mean (qualia). Perhaps it starts with an urge, a compulsive behavior
> programmed into them that rewards them with peace or happiness to
> accomplish their preparations like collecting a store of fruits and
> nuts and to build their nest of leaves, grass and sticks in a tree.
> Perhaps it is more to assuage the anxiety of dissonance, perhaps they
> mostly exist in a panicky state as we would call it. A person who
> behaved as erratically as a squirrel would be institutionalized, the
> squirrel is in it's element near the woods, what natural ends I wonder
> that we might be seeking in our behaviors. I haven't read Kostler's
> Ghost in the Machine yet but I think this is what he referred to,
> these fundamental human imperatives that arise and remind us that you
> can take the ape out of the jungle but not visa-versa. It is obvious
> that the squirrel is doing what it needs to do to survive, and if it
> collects two times the needed nuts to do so it greatly improves it's
> survival short or overworking itself thus burning more energy and
> shortening it's life or to other chain effects.
>
> Our insecurities can be manipulated, or our needs left ignored our
> capacities allow our sense of want, insecurity, and anxieties to
> create unending feelings of desire. We can breed all year, we can
> think very very far ahead. It brings into question what environment
> would be most beneficial for us- nature is reckless but effective. If
> greed is a problem I think it isn't due to flawed human beings as much
> as the failure to take what we know of the world and ourselves and
> apply it our societies in a sensible manner. The cost of convenience
> is rising, we've been riding high on the waste hog for a very long
> time. It will probably get a bit worse, people are willing to cling to
> false security, we've invested too much in this hand to fold, we are
> narcissistic, arrogant and full of pride. The only thing left to do it
> actually find some solutions.
>
> A return to Eden, the noble savage and such isn't where I'm headed
> with this, that sounds a bit too nostalgic and I don't think would fit
> the long term cultural/technological/evolutionary requirements for
> survival. Sorry this turned out a little longwinded PSK, but I enjoy
> the exercise. :)
>
>
>
> On Tue, Nov 29, 2011 at 11:26 AM, pol.science kid <r.freeb...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > Hey everyone... i have been very dull of late with little mind
> > activity... but.. today i was just going through Hind Swaraj.... and
> > well its not about the book.. in the review pages.. i read something
> > about Greed.. and it got me thinking.... only humans have greed
> > right... i find it very peculiar.. the most common vice one is taught
> > against from childhood...What is the nature of it... is there or can
> > there be a why?... when does wanting enough turn to greed.... the
> > dictionary defines it as wanting more than is necessary.... well..
> > that appplies to everything then!.. we always have and want more than
> > necessary or required... is being careful and cautious greedy(in
> > wanting enough and more)... is being ambitious greedy.... why is being
> > greedy wrong? ....very simplistic questions.. but i want to know what
> > everyone thinks about this....- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
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